Sun and Sail
by Vrinda81
Summary: Steve's night out: a lovely, romantic interlude
1. Sun and Sail, Chapter 1

SUN AND SAIL

By Vrinda

Chapter 1

The ballet was any day more interesting than sitting around with a bunch of old navy officers, smelling their cigar ashes, and listening to them tell the same war stories over and over, in between off-color jokes. _Rite of Spring_, as the ballet was known, would have been a better alternative, but something was keeping Steve McGarrett from making the obvious decision. When he heard Kate Holbrook ask him if he wanted to go, he still hesitated.

_Should I, or will it end up like last time?_ Steve thought. He had not dated any woman in a long time. It was three years since Cathy, his previous girlfriend, had been killed and Steve was framed for it. The pain and shock of losing her, and the added horror of being accused of her murder nearly made Steve go off the deep end. If not for the diligence of his men – Danno, Chin, and Duke – Steve would have lost his badge, gun, and position and been in jail now, where he most surely would wind up dead. That was the intent of the gangster who masterminded the plot. That was all behind Steve now, but the future was uncertain. He knew one thing, though: He couldn't keep Kate Holbrook waiting.

"I'd love to come, Kate," he said. "What time would you like me to pick you up?"

"How about seven?" she asked.

"Seven it is," Steve said, his face now beaming as he heard Kate speak once more.

"See you then," she said, and hung up. Steve put down the receiver and stared out the window. The palm trees and bougainvillea were not the objects of his viewing pleasure at that moment but rather, what he was thinking. He had to force himself to get out of this dire state in which he was. He couldn't go on mourning Cathy forever. She would want him to live and go on. Kate's phone call jolted Steve back into reality. There was no going back now.


	2. Sun and Sail, Chapter 2

SUN AND SAIL

By Vrinda

Chapter 2

The show was not as interesting as Steve hoped it would be. He had been to ballets before, and had wonderful experiences, but this one was not one of them. The dancers tried their best to keep the audience engaged, but the ballet itself was very difficult to perform. Steve was not surprised when he saw many people leave the theater after the first intermission. He and Kate were among them.

"We still have a few hours left, and the night is young," he told her. "Do you want me to take you home, or are you still up for some more action?"

"By action, you don't mean chasing bad guys around, do you?" Kate asked as she smiled impishly.

"No, not at all, unless a call comes in on my car phone!" Steve laughed.

They got into Steve's Mercury and pulled out of the parking lot behind the theater. Steve didn't know where they were going to go next, but he knew the night wasn't going to end now. On impulse, he drove to the beach at Waikiki. They got out and walked along the sand. The air was cool and crisp. She wore her wavy brown hair held up around her head with silver-colored hairpins, and some strands fell about the sides of her forehead and blew around in the breeze. She took off her heels and held them in one hand as she put her arm around Steve's waist with the other. The sand kicked up around their feet as they walked, and the only sound around them came from the ocean as its waves crashed into the shore in a thunderous wave, then retreated back to the sea in a tranquil ebb. For the first time in months, Steve felt at peace. There was something missing, something which had eluded him for so long, which he didn't try to too hard at attaining before, but knew he wanted now more than anything – love. He had been alone for far too long, living on an island and being an island to himself. He had friendships with his men and other people, but the closeness of a woman was something that he only came close to having, never being completely fulfilled.

The sound of the crashing waves' was joined by seagulls chirping. From a distance, they could hear the lilting melody of a Hawaiian instrumental emanating from a nightclub, with bright tiki torches lighting the night, and slender-bodied dancers swaying gracefully to the music. The whole scene seemed like an antithesis to all that Steve witnessed in his twenty years as the head of the state police.

Kate started to walk ahead of Steve a little, letting go of him and briskly walking in front, giggling as she did so to let Steve know she wasn't trying to get away.

"You just wait a minute, missy!" Steve ran to catch up with her. He put his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "You're not getting away from me that easily!"

"Who said I did?" Kate asked. "I was trying to catch you!" Steve kissed the tip of her nose.

They kept walking till they reached a bench, then sat down. Kate wiped the sand off the bottoms of her feet and put her shoes back on. Steve sat very close to her, not wanting this moment to end, and wanting to make sure it didn't go wrong. His feelings for Kate were getting stronger, but he didn't know how she really felt about him. This could just be a casual date with no intention of it leading anywhere, and Kate might not even be remotely interested in having a relationship with him, but maybe that was not the case. She was showing some deeper interest in him than if she was only going keeping him around for company.

"Kate?" he asked.

"Yes, Steve?" Kate turned to him.

"I don't know how to say this, but … I wanted to get to know you more, after Matt died. I didn't think it would be right to do so. I didn't know how you would take it, and then there was my work …"

Kate held up her hand. "There's no need to say any more, Steve," she replied. "I know how you felt. You did keep in touch with me after Matt died and visited me often. I knew it was more than just friendly concern." She put her arm around him.

"I'm glad you said so," Steve told her. He gently tucked some of her loose hair behind her ears. Steve stared for a few minutes at Kate's blue-eyed face. At that moment in time, she was the only woman on Earth. It was then that Steve realized that this was not the end. There was tomorrow, and he should take things slowly.

"Let's get out of here and indoors," Steve said as he got up, keeping his arm around Kate's shoulder. "Tell me all about how you got into ranching."


	3. Sun and Sail, Chapter 3

SUN AND SAIL

By Vrinda

Chapter 3

The next morning, Steve awoke feeling happy and rejuvenated. He always greeted each day with enthusiasm, but this morning was different. He went home from his evening with Kate feeling invigorated, like he was starting a new chapter in his life where things were only going to get better. He pulled the curtains away and let the sunlight shine in, and went into the kitchen to make some coffee. It was the second of this three days off, and he had plans for the day.

He invited Kate to go sailing. As the schooner set sail, Steve couldn't help but notice how it gave Kate's brown hair a luster brighter than gold. She stood by the railing, looking out at the sea, so engrossed in the sight of the endless miles of waves that she did not notice Steve coming up from behind and putting his arms around her. She didn't try to wriggle out or fight. She wanted him to get this close to her. She gently ran her fingers along Steve's arm, onto the back of his hand. He held onto Kate as long as he could, snuggling his nose into her thick hair.

"You must love the sea," Kate said.

"After my job, the sea is all I have left." Steve's became entranced by the waves.

Kate turned around, still locked in Steve's embrace. "You could have more than just your job and the sea," she said.

Steve's face softened, and his mouth turned upwards in a smile.

"I'll be here for you as long as you want me," Kate told him.

"That's a long, long time," Steve said.

"I know, and I don't mind at all."

Steve leaned downwards and planted his lips onto hers. "You know," he told her, "a relationship with a cop isn't easy."

"I'm not used to things being easy," Kate said. "I've faced many challenges in life. One more won't bother me."

"You're going to be in for quite a ride," Steve said.


End file.
